Kids for Peace Celebration

press release: An art exhibit with paintings of Syrian refugee children; a special film screening of 8 Borders, 8 Days and featuring the director; a citizenship ceremony; and a soccer fest will be some of the highlights of “Welcoming Week, Madison 2017: Embracing Refugees and Immigrants,” Sunday, September 17 through Sunday, September 24.  The week’s activities are being sponsored by Madison’s Open Doors for Refugees, in partnership with Welcoming America and several local organizations.

Welcoming Week, a national initiative of Welcoming America, is a series of events aimed at bringing together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents in support and celebration.

“During Welcoming Week, I invite all residents of Madison to join this movement of communities nationwide by renewing our commitment to our core American values and by taking action in the spirit of welcoming,” says Madison Mayor Paul R. Soglin in an August 22, 2017 Mayoral Proclamation. “By working together, we can achieve greater prosperity and make our community the kind of place where diverse people from around the world feel valued and want to put down roots.”

Welcoming Week events include the following. All are welcome.

Sunday September 17, 2017, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Meet and Greet -- ODFR holds a meet-and-greet event at its information table at The Willy Street Fair, 800-1000 blocks of Williamson Street. Learn more about Open Doors’ initiatives and the refugee situation in and around Madison.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Citizenship/Naturalization Ceremony at Threshold, 2717 Atwood Ave. A naturalization ceremony for 50 new Americans and their families.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm, Free Family Night and Kids for Peace Celebration, Madison Children's Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street. Guest performances by Suzuki Strings of Madison and Vision Contemporary Dance, and a new Art Gallery exhibition of children’s portraits from The Memory Project.

Thursday, September 21, 2017, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Memory Project Exhibit. Reception and discussion at “The Memory Project: Faces of Joy,” an exhibit at The Ruth Davis Design Gallery, Nancy Nicholas Hall, 1300 Linden Drive, on the UW-Madison campus. Speakers include Memory Project founder Ben Schumaker and UW-Madison Professor Névine El-Nossery (Department of French and Italian), as well as refugee families. 

Saturday, September 23, 2017, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Soccer Fest at Warner Park. This “pick-up” round-robin tournament features teams of 5x5 players. Teams are encouraged to bring balls and jerseys.

Sunday, September 24, 2017, 3 p.m. 8 Borders, 8 Days: First-time Madison screening of “8 Borders, 8 Days” with post-film discussion with the director, Amanda Bailly. L-140 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building, 800 University Avenue.

Open Doors for Refugees (ODFR), a Madison-based not-for-profit, non-denominational organization, formed nearly two years ago to help refugees make a home in the Madison area. For more information, www.opendoorsforrefugees.org   We are co-sponsoring with Madison Children’s Museum, UW-Madison School of Human Ecology and UW-Madison Middle East Studies Program.